Spray device



Feb. 26, 1957 F. K. MINERLEY 2,783,090

I SPRAY DEVICE Filed Dec. 11, 1953 IN VEN TOR. FREDERICK K MiNERLEY ByJMQQMM ATTY.

SPRAY DEVICE Frederick K. Minerley, Lincolnwood, Ill., assignor to Air-Way Industries, Inc., a corporation .of Delaware Application December11, 1953, Serial No. 397,559

6 Claims. (Cl. 299-86) This invention relates to spray units, but moreparticularly to such units employed as attachments to vacuum cleaners,wherein the stream of air generated by the vacuum cleaner is employed tospray liquids, such as paints, insecticides and the like, and an objectis to produce an improved spray unit of the above type, having the novelfeatures of construction, arrangement and operation hereinafterdescribed.

By way of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of theinvention is shown on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of the spray unit, showing aportion of the vacuum cleaner hose attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a front'end view of the spray nozzle substantially on theline 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken onthe line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the end portion of the spray nozzleshowing the spinner mounted thereon, the same being shown in elevation.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a spray unitconsisting of a glass jar for holding the material to be sprayed, thejar having a reduced screw neck 11 to receive a metallic screw cap 12which has a raised central portion 14 which is fiat to receive atransversely arranged metallic air tube 15, the rear end of whichprojects beyond the side of the jar and is open to receive the usualfitting 16 on the end of a vacuum cleaner hose it being understood thatair is forced by the vacuum cleaner through the hose, and of course thenthrough the transverse tube 15.

Securing the transverse air tube to the flattened portion 14 of theclosure cap is a tubular rivet 17 to which extends a metallic tube 18which projects vertically downward and terminates a short space from thebottom of the jar 10. Above the rivet 17, the tube 18 is bent atsubstantially right angles to provide a nozzle 19, the end of whichprojects outside of the air tube 15. As shown, the adjacent end of theair tube is reduced as indicated at 20, and in the end is a centralaperture 21 substantially larger in diameter than that of the nozzle 19which is arranged coaxially of the aperture.

On the extreme outer end portion of the nozzle 19 is a sleeve 22 whichhas an outwardly extending flange at the inner end. As shown, the sleeve22 is disposed wholly outside of the inner tube, and rigid with thenozzle 19 on the inner side of the aperture 21 is a collar 23. Arrangedbetween the flange on the sleeve 22 and the collar 23 is a spinner 24which is rotated in response to the stream of air passing out from theaperture 21 in the reduced end or nozzle of the air tube 15. As shown,the spinner 24 is generally rectangular in shape with the opposite endscurved in order that it may spin freely within the aperture 21 and withthe curved ends in close juxtaposition to the rim of the aperture 21substantially as indicated on Figure 2.

rates Patent The rear face of the spinner 24 is flat but the front facehas a pair of axially inclined surfaces 24a and 24b, the inclinationsbeing oppositely arranged as indicated on the drawing. The stream of airpassing out of the nozzle end 20 creates a negative pressure on theoppositely inclined surfaces 24a and 24b and not only causes the spinnerto rotate at a speed somewhat less than that of the air stream, but alsocreates an aspirating efiect at the outer end of the tube 18 for drawingliquid up from the jar 10. It will be understood that the air from thenozzle end 20 forms substantially a vortex with the center disposedcoaxially of and close to the end of the tube 18. The spinner 24 may beof a bright colored plastic so that in operation, it not only presentsan attractive appearance but functionally aids in eflecting the desiredaspirating effect to draw up the liquid in the jar. The action is suchthat air is prevented from moving rearwardly thereby militating againstliquid particles, such as paint, from being carried upon the spinner andadjacent tube, which would interfere with the rotation of the spinner.

The lower end of the vertical tube 18 is adapted to be closed by aconical valve 26 which is vertically movable into and out of seatingengagement with the open end of the tube 18. The valve 26 has a U-shapedstem 27 which is integral with a vertically disposed actuating rod 28arranged substantially parallel to the tube 18 and extending through ahole in the cap portion 14, the upper end terminating in ascrew-threaded end portion projecting through an aperture in the wall ofthe air tube 15. For guiding the vertical movements of the rod 28 is aguide plate 29 rigid with the lower end portion of the tube 18 andhaving a sleeve-like portion through which the rod 28 may reciprocate. Ahelical coil spring 30 surrounds the upper end portion of the rod 28 andthe lower end of the spring bears against the adjacent wall of the airtube 15. On the upper screw-threaded end portion of the rod 28 andprojecting outwardly of the air tube 15 for convenient manual operationis a button 31. Manifestly by depressing-the button 31, the valve 26 isunseated to allow the liquid within the jar 10 to be drawn upwardlythrough the tube 18 by the aspirating action of the air passing at highvelocity over the free outer end of the nozzle 19.

A conventional vent hole V is provided through screw cap 12 to preventthe building up of negative pressures in jar 10 as liquid is removed.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in de tails ofconstruction, arrangement and operation may be effected withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in theappended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A spray unit comprising a jar having a screw neck, a cap in threadedengagement with said neck, said cap having a flattened raised portion,an air tube arranged transversely on said raised portion, means securingsaid tube to said cap, a nozzle-like end portion on one end of said airtube, the opposite end being open to receive a vacuum cleaner hose, saidnozzle-like end portion having a relatively large circular opening, arelatively small liquid carrying tube having a portion outside of saidnozzlelike end portion and arranged coaxially of the latter extendinginside of the air tube and through the walls thereof and the raised capportion and terminating adjacent the bottom of the jar, a conical valveadapted to close the bottom end of the liquid carrying tube, a verticalactuating rod connected to said valve and slidably extending through thecap and adjacent wall of the air tube, there being an opening in theopposite wall of the air tube, an operating button on the end of saidrod and slidable through said last opening, a coil spring on said rodbetween said button and a wall of the tube for urging said valve closed,a substantially rectangular spinner on said liquid tube disposed withinsaid relatively large opening and having curved ends close to the edgeof such opening, and a pair of oppositely inclined air impingingsurfaces on the outer side of said spinner to cause rotation thereof,and a collar on the liquid tube arranged on opposite sides of thespinner to retain same on such tube but afford free rotation thereof.

2. A spray unit comprising a jar having a screw neck, a cap in threadedengagement with said neck, said cap having a flattened raised portion,an air tube arranged transversely on said raised portion, means securingsaid tube to said cap, a nozzle-like end portion on one end of said airtube, the opposite end being open to receive a vacuum cleaner hose, saidnozzle-like end portion having a relatively large circular opening, arelatively small liquid carrying tube having a portion outside of saidnozzle-like end portion and arranged coaxially of the latter extendinginside of the air tube and through the Walls thereof and the raised capportion and terminating adjacent the bottom of the jar, manuallyoperated means for opening and closing said liquid tube, a substantiallyrectangular spinner on said liquid tube disposed within said relativelylarge opening and having curved ends close to the edge of such opening,and a pair of oppositely inclined air impinging surfaces on the outerside of said spinner to cause rotation thereof, and a collar on theliquid tube arranged on opposite sides of the spinner to retain same onsuch tube but afford free rotation thereof.

3. A spray unit comprising a jar, a cap detachably connected to saidjar, said cap having a flattened raised portion, an air tube arrangedtransversely on said raised portion, means securing said tube to saidcap, a nozzle-like end portion on one end of said air tube, the oppositeend being open to receive a vacuum cleaner hose, said nozzlelike endportion having a relatively large circular opening, a relatively smallliquid carrying tube having a portion outside of said nozzle-like endportion and arranged coaxially of the latter extending inside of the airtube and through the walls thereof and the raised cap portion andterminating adjacent the bottom of the jar, manually operated means foropening and closing said liquid tube, a substantially rectangularspinner on said liquid tube disposed Within said relatively largeopening and having curved ends close to the edge of such opening, and apair of oppositely inclined air impinging surfaces on the outer side ofsaid spinner to cause rotation thereof, and a collar on the liquid tubearranged on opposite sides of the spinner to retain same on such tubebut afford free rotation thereof.

4. A spray unit comprising a jar, a cap detachably con nected to saidjar, an air tube arranged transversely on said cap, means securing saidtube to said cap, a nozzlelike end portion on one end of said air tube,the opposite end being open to receive a vacuum cleaner hose, saidnozzle-like end portion having a relatively large circular opening, arelatively small liquid carrying tube having a portion outside of saidnozzle-like end portion and arranged coaxially of the latter extendinginside of the air tube and through the walls thereof and the raised capportion and terminating adjacent the bottom of the jar, manuallyoperated means for opening and closing said liquid tube, a plasticspinner on said liquid tube disposed within said relatively largeopening and having curved peripheral portions disposed close to the edgeof such opening, and a pair of oppositely inclined air impingingsurfaces on the outer side of said spinner to cause rotation thereof,and a collar on the liquid tube arranged on opposite sides of thespinner to retain same on such tube but afford free rotation thereof.

5. A spray unit comprising an air tube adapted to be connected with asource of air under pressure, said air tube having an outlet and with arelatively large outlet opening, a relatively small liquid tube with anoutlet end arranged coaxially within the air tube and projectingcentrally through said outlet opening the outlet end of said liquid tubeterminating outwardly of the outlet end of said air tube, a spinnerrotatably mounted on the outlet end of the liquid tube, said spinnerbeing disposed Within the end of said outlet opening and havingoppositely inclined surfaces thereon for causing rotation thereof inresponse to pressure imposed thereon by the air stream issuing throughsaid outlet opening, the outlet end of the liquid tube being so relatedto the nozzle that the air issuing through the outlet opening of the airtube and past the spinner creates a vortex at the outlet end of theliquid tube to create an aspirating effect thereon.

6. A spray unit as claimed in claim 5, in which the spinner comprises asubstantially rectangular elongate plastic member, and curved end wallson opposite ends of the spinner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,665,943 Palm Jan. 12, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 315,201 Great Britain July9, 1929 442,424 Great Britain Feb. 7, 1936 864,370 Germany Jan. 26, 1953

